Hospital bed attachment



Feb. 28, 1950 T. KLUGLEIN.

HOSPITAL BED ATTACHMENT Filed July 1.6, 1946 --.fill l.

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Patented Feb. 28,v 1950 UNITED S TATIIES PATENT OFFICE V'I-I()Slilf'lAL"'BTEI) ATTACHMENT TheobaldK'lu'glein,v Valley Stream, N. Y.

'Application v'July 16, 1946, Serial No. 683.865

tient from-'onepositionlying on`the-be'ddingto -a position above kit so as to ffacilitate the iusefof 'various accessories. Also, facilitates turning of a patient or invalid while in a reclining posi-tion so that'the patient or invalidimay 4rest on the-bed -lying on his or Aher right for left side, back or stomach. It also enables attendants to readily carry a patient to or from 'the vbed Without an extra litter `or r'stretcher'.

'Ihe nature of theeinventio'n'and'itsdistinguishing features and advantages will appear when-the 3 following "specification isrea'd'in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which- Fig. 1 is -a side elevational view-of' aibed selected to vshow the attachments of the presentinvention applied thereto by wayvofe'xample.

Fig.- 2 is a` sectional viewtaken -on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3-is-asectionalview taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1, portions being broken away.

Fig. 4 is a detail sectional lview.

Fig. 5 is a sectional View taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view"of one'of the attachmentguides,'aportion thereof being broken away.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a part of the bracket which supports therockerarm.

Fig. 8 is'a plan view ofthe ilexible stretcher.

Fig. 9 shows aporti'on vo1? rthe stretcher which receives one of'the buttons'of the rotatable frame, a portion of which is shown in Fig. 10.

On reference to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, it will be seen there is shown a hospital bed I including a head end I I, a foot end I2 and a mattress I3 supported by the spring structure of any suitable type.

In accordance with the invention the head end II has an attachment or frame structure I4 rotatably mounted thereon at the inside, suitable attaching means I consisting of a flanged block having an arbor I6. The block I5 is vertically slidable in a guide I'I secured to the head end II on the inside and centrally thereof, as shown in Fig. 3. A set screw I8 carried by the guide I'I and extending through the head end II engages the block I5 to hold the structure I4 in any vertically adjustedposition. The Vstructure I4 is substantially semi-circular and has a series 'of buttons or the like-I9 thereon. The frame Astruc- 'tureisfadaptedto 'receive the arbor lit projecting through it and a wing-nut '2U in threaded engagementwith the arbor serves for retaining the frame structure I4 in the desired angular `position of adjustment. The arbor i5 is 'disposed parallel to the longitudinal axis `ci? the bed. Handles'ZI on thestructure 'I4 fserve .for turning iton'the arbor AI6 linto diierent `.1:os`itionsof'adjustrnent `'when the nut 528 Ais loosened.

Also :in accordance withthefinvention a'second attachment is secured to the foot'end I2 -to ycooperate with the lframe structure i4. This second attachment .includes a `frame structure @substantially similar to v'thestructure I4. The structure -22 is VVmounted :for adjustment on vvan axis paralleling the longitudinal axis of the bed Aand also in van arc toward and away from `the structure 'I4 on a horizontal axis 'disposedat a right angle to `the `longitudinal axis of the bed. This is accomplished by the use of fan'angular varm .23 having'an arcuate portion 24 and a portion 25. The lowerend of the portion 25 ispivot- 'ally connected, as at 26 with the lower end of a l'an'ged'bracket Z'I vertically adjustable in a guide v2t secured to the 'foot end "12. A set screw A2'9 carried by'thebracket 21 engages in one of the holes or dents .in Athe vguide 28 tosecure the bracket in the desired vertically adjusted position. The'bra'cket-"Q'l has aguid'e vf3I for the arcuate portion f24, the latter 'extending through said guide 3| asshown. The Aunderside ofthe arm 'gear33'rnountedto rotate inthe Aguide 3l. The

gear meshes with areducing pinion v34 fast on a sh'aftf35 supported bytheguide `3l. A pivoted pawl `3'I51on'the guide 'T3I is engageable with a notched'y disk A-ll connected lwith theishaftof the gear 33 to prevent the arm 23 from moving out of an adjusted position. The shafft has a crank handle 33 for turning the shaft 35 and its pinion 34. The frame structure 22 is rotatably mounted on the inner end of the arcuate portion 24. A Wing-nut 4U in threaded engagement with said portion 24 serves to clamp the structure 22 in different angular positions of adjustment with respect to said portion 24. The structure 22 has a series of spaced buttons 4I like the buttons I9. Handles 42 on the structure 22 serve for adjusting it as stated.

In accordance with another feature of this invention use is made of a stretcher 43 for carrying and placing a patient or invalid on the mattress I3 of the bed. The stretcher 43 is also adapted to be connected with the structures I4 and 22 for the purpose of shifting the patient or invalid from one position lying on the mattress or bedding to a position above it, and also for turning the patient or invalid so that the patient or invalid may rest on the mattress lying on his or her right or left side, back or stomach. The stretcher 43 is made of stout fabric or other soft exible material. It has reinforced handholds 44 at the four corners. A flap 45 is held in a closed position in an opening in the stretcher by a suitable slide fastener 4E, and the flap may be opened to enable the use of various accessories for obvious purposes when the stretcher is elevated in a taut or stretched condition. The stretcher has a series of keyholes 41 in each of the reinforced end portions to receive the buttons I8 and 4| on the frame structures I4 and 22, respectively.

With the patient on the stretcher while on the bed, the stretcher may be engaged with the buttons I9 and 4I. The patient may then be elevated by releasing the pawl 36 and then turning the crank handle 38. This causes the stretcher 43 to become taut and being anchored at the opposite ends to the structures I4 and 22, the patient is sustained in an elevated position above the mattress. In Fig. 1 the dot-and-dash lines 48 indicate the stretcher 43 taut; the dot-anddash lines 4S indicate the stretcher 43 slack contacting the mattress; and the dot-and-dash lines 50 indicate the stretcher 43 detached from the structures I4 and 22 and lying on the mattress I3.

Additional buttons on the structures I4 and 22 may be provided to retain the stretcher 43 atwise horizontally to enable attendants or a doctor to readily perform special operations on the patient. The buttons I9 and 4I retain the stretcher 43 like a hammock to keep the patient from rolling off the bed. However, by adjusting the structures I4 and 22 the patient may be turned to lie on one side or the other.

It is to be understood that the invention is not restricted to the precise provision and arrangement of parts shown and described, as details of construction may be modified and rearranged without departing from the spirit of the invention, the scope of which is limited only by the terms of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. The combination with a bed, of cooperative frame structures, means mounting one of said structures on the head end of the bed for adjustment about an axis paralleling the longitudinal axis of the bed, means mounting the other of said structures on the foot end of the bed for adjustment about an axis paralleling the longitudinal axis of the bed and also for movement in an arc toward and away from said head end, a

stretcher consisting of a panel of stout flexible material having the opposite ends thereof connected with said frame structures respectively, and means to xedly secure each of said frame structures with respect to the bed.

2. The combination with a bed, of a patient sustaining stretcher made of iexible material, means on the foot and head ends of the bed to which the opposite ends of said stretcher are connected, said means including a frame connected with one of said ends of the stretcher adjustable to a position to elevate the stretcher while sustaining a patient with respect to the bed bottom, and said frame also being adjustable to lower the stretcher onto said bed bottom while sustaining the patient.

3. Bed attachments for raising, lowering and turning a patient, comprising foot and head end frames, means for rotatably supporting the head end frame on a bed, a bracket adapted to be xedly secured to the bed, a pivoted arm on the bracket, means rotatably supporting the foot end frame on said arm, means connected with the frames operable to adjust each of said frames about its axis of rotation, means to secure each frame in the adjusted position, power applying means on the bracket and the arm to cause pivotal movement of said arm to raise and lower the foot end frame, means to secure the arm in its adjusted position, an oblong stretcher of flexible material, and coacting means on said frames and stretcher detachably connecting the stretcher with the frames.

4. Bed attachments as set forth in claim 3, wherein each of said frames is substantially semicircular.

5. Bed attachments as set forth in claim 3, wherein the pivot of said arm is disposed horizontally and at a right angle to the longitudinal axis of the bed.

6. Bed attachments as set forth in claim 3, wherein said power applying means comprises a portion of said arm which is arcuate and has gear teeth, a rotatably mounted shaft carried by said bracket, gearing operated by said shaft and meshing with said teeth, and a crank connected with said shaft to rotate it.

THEOBALD IQLUGLEIN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 633,051 Spicer et al Sept. 12, 1899 1,082,177 Skeflington Dec. 23, 1913 1,780,399 Munson Nov. 4, 1930l 2,076,675 Sharp Apr. 13, 1937 

